That was the attitude of Manhattan’s George Zahringer after yesterday’s Masters first round was postponed, leaving him and the rest of the field to play 36 holes today.

Zahringer, playing in his first Masters (or any other major for that matter) as the reigning U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, was hardly intimidated by the delay or the prospect of grinding out 36 holes today.

“This is pretty much the way it was in the final of the Mid-Amateur,” Zahringer said. “If you’re focused in and can get in a zone, it’s like it’s 75 and sunny. This [delay] gives me a little more time to practice and prepare.

“Playing 36 holes is not a problem for me. I’ve played a lot of 36-hole competitive rounds. I’m 49 but I don’t feel like it. This isn’t a disappointment. If they had canceled the tournament, that would have been a disappointment.”

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Many eyes will be on Arnold Palmer today, with 36 tough holes on the rain-soaked course looming. Palmer, playing in his 49th consecutive Masters with a goal to play in 50, opted to play this year and is sticking with the decision.

However, he shot 89-85 last year while missing his 19th cut in a row here, and many wonder if he can break 90 in these conditions.

“Just having him play is good for the tournament,” Tom Lehman said of Palmer. “Nobody cares whether he shoots 75 or 85; it’s just the fact that he’s here.”

Fuzzy Zoeller echoed Lehman’s sentiments, saying, “It doesn’t matter what [Palmer] shoots,” before adding, “Trust me, Arnie’s in better shape than 90 percent of the guys out here; he’s going to keep on playing, keep hitting it and keep hitching up those pants.”

Added Scott Hoch: “You still like to see those guys here, the guys with the big names, and the past champions that made this game what it is today.”

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Because of the bad weather and anticipated long day today, two past champions, 65-year-old Charles Coody, the 1971 winner here, and 66-year-old Tommy Aaron, the 1973 winner, both asked the tournament committee if they could use carts today. Both requests were denied.

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Fred Couples has played in 18 Masters and made the cut every year, winning in 1992 . . . Hoch called the Augusta National rough “like a five-day beard right now.” . . . The movie theaters in Augusta must have been busy yesterday, because a number of players were talking about killing time there. Lehman, for example, said he was going to see “Gods and Generals.” Couples suggested Zahringer rent the third season of “The Sopranos,” but Zahringer said he’d already seen every episode.